Situation 4

The problem in situation four is an easy one to identify. It all started when Sony used the Manchester Cathedral in a violent video game without asking for permission to do so. This caused problems within the Manchester Cathedral community. In this paper, I will discuss the ethical issues raised in the video and what I would have done in the situation.

It is clear to me what the issues in this situation are. Sony used the Manchester Cathedral in their video game without seeking permission. First, we will consider whether Sony had the right to use the Cathedral in their game. Next, we will consider whether the church and its supporters had a right to be upset. We will also consider real ethics versus virtual reality as discussed in the video.

If I worked for Sony, I would have told the truth to begin with. No, we did not seek the proper permission and apologized. It seems to me that game developers decided it was better to ask for forgiveness than seek permission. At a large corporation like Sony, I would think permission rights are not something that gets overlooked very often. I think Sony knew the cathedral community would refuse to grant permission to use images of the cathedral in their game, so they went ahead and used it anyway.

I believe that both parties’ arguments have rationality. Sony should be able to use the Cathedral in their game but only with proper permission. Sony’s initial statement was, “We believe we have sought and received all permissions necessary for the creation of the game”. Later, Sony admitted to not actually seeking permission. The fact that they lied about having permission goes against what is morally correct. On the business side of things, Sony should have given the Manchester Cathedral mon...

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...hese people for an entire year? Every human being has the right to basic amenities, food, water, and shelter.

In conclusion, I think ethics is an issue that is very subjective. Many judgments regarding ethics could go either way depending upon who you ask. As artists, video game developers have certain freedoms. The same goes for the Cathedral and its community. For individuals living day to day life, I think it is as simple as going with your “gut feeling”. People should consider what feels like the right thing to do and what consequences their actions will have. I think often times decisions are made without taking other parties into account. I believe Sony did just that. They made the decision to use the Manchester Cathedral without taking into account who it would affect and how. I believe this situation could have been avoided with a simple phone call.